Making and carrying out plans to ride thousands of miles on a bicycle requires a certain level of desire to make happen. Getting pumped up for a week literally won’t get me very far, and when factoring in the obstacles that are certain to appear along the way, it’s essential to have a reserve supply of compelling reasons to keep pedaling. Fortunately, I have several.
Early in life, I discovered there was joy in riding a bicycle, and that feeling has continued for 60 years. From my “training wheels” days to the substantially more capable machines I ride today, I’ve seldom had a bad day on a bike. Now, with the opportunity to spend a summer cycling and sightseeing, the attraction is irresistible.
A transcontinental bicycle trip has been a dream since I began riding longer distances (over 50 miles) in the 70’s. Until recently, my plan was to wait until some indefinite point in the future, when the twin requirements of the fitness to pull it off and the time available to do it were favorably aligned. To me, that seemed like sometime after retirement, until I started getting reminders that life doesn’t come with a guarantee.
The “Big Bang” of wakeup calls hit me at lunch one day as I was squandering more time on Facebook. As I scrolled past images of yet to be eaten meals and bare feet facing bodies of water, my longtime friend Lance’s picture appeared beside an expiration date.
Less than a year earlier, Lance and I had spent six hours hiking over and around the lakeside dunes of northern Indiana. At the time, he had recently retired, bought a new car and was looking ahead to a pleasant and productive future. A dedicated runner with 11 marathons among his achievements, he had done everything the “right way” and had the friends and accomplishments of a life well-lived. Yet, he died of lymphoma before I saw him again.
His wife, Helene, told me he spent his last weeks at home, facing the situation with his built-in positive energy and sense of humor. “Can’t a dying man get a drink of water?” he’d ask when the service was a little slow or pretending to be dead when his family checked on him, only to rise up like Lazarus when they thought it was over.
Lance’s death changed the way I looked at my life and the future. There’s always plenty of time until there isn’t, but no one can predict when their clock will stop. Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford commencement speech dealt with this by asking the question “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?” When other friends followed Lance, I realized that I’d better get my show on the road and make the transcontinental a priority. I’ll ride alone, but with the memories of wonderful people who are still missed.
Lance was an Eagle Scout and loved hiking in the wilderness long after he became a man. Helene graciously loaned me Lance’s hiking medallion, which I’m honored to carry with me to the Pacific Coast. Together we’ll be unstoppable.
Saint Augustine To Seattle 